An Independent Report on the State of Ipo Watershed

Prepared by the UP Mountaineers Environment Committee

The objective of this report is to provide documentation of human activities within the watershed and its effect on the capacity of Ipo Watershed to supply Metro Manilas demand for freshwater. Brief Background Since June 2007, volunteers from the UP Mountaineers (UPM) have been planting and nurturing trees in Ipo Watershed. They have also provided monitoring reports that showed the extent of the continuous man-made deforestation and the futility of tree planting programs because of the lack of genuine forest protection measures for the watershed.
Right under their noses. Photo of kaingin taken on March 31, 2011.

Based on the 2004 joint study by the Forest Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), 60-70% of the 6,600-hectare Ipo Watershed is denuded. This area is greater than the total land area of the smaller La Mesa Watershed. The report pinpoints illegal logging, slash-and-burn farming or kaingin, charcoal-making, and the encroachment of illegal settlers as the causes of the deforestation (Baclayon and De la Cruz, 2004).

Recent satellite photos showing the extent of damage caused by the illegal settlers. LEFT: Ipo Watershed during the summer season RIGHT: Ipo Watershed during the rainy season.

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The Never Ending Cycle of Deforestation and Reforestation

DENRs reforestation area destroyed by the illegal settlers in April 2007. UPM adopted this area and planted trees for a period of 5 years. Up to now, the planted trees are being nurtured by UPM but they are still being turned to charcoal. Photo location: 1453'20.38"N 121 9'57.01"E

Nine years have passed since the 2004 joint study by the FMB, DENR and MWSS was conducted but the remaining 30% forest cover is still seriously threatened by the activities of the significant population of illegal settlers. To add insult to injury, newly reforested areas are also not spared from the destruction. In fact, the reforestation site of the UP Mountaineers was an area already reforested by the DENR during the early 2000s. Because the mature trees that the agency planted were burned in the summer of 2007, another reforestation project had to be conducted again. UPM signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the MWSS, DENR, Manila Water Company and the Local Government Unit of Norzagaray to reforest this same area destroyed for the second time by the illegal settlers. UPM has been planting trees in the area since 2007, despite the fact that the area is subject to illegal logging and the newly planted trees are being cut and turned to charcoal even before their maturity. Furthermore, the Dumagats still report deliberate cutting and burning of trees, young and old, to make way for new reforestation projects that are a source of income for some unscrupulous personalities operating inside the watershed. As it turns out, privately funded reforestation drives have become a source of livelihood for some settlers. They charge a fee for their labor in assisting private groups in their reforestation activities, while at the same time unscrupulously clearing new areas to encourage more reforestation activities which will ensure their future income, not to mention the extra income they get from selling illegally cut logs in the open market.

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Trees planted by the volunteers and partners of UPM are being turned to firewood and charcoal. Photo on the left was taken on January 2013, center photo on September 2013 and photo on the right on January 18, 2014. Photo location: 1453'21.55"N 12110'1.69"E

LEFT: New branches emerging from cut narra trees planted by UPM 2-3 year ago. More than 30 tree saplings were found to have been deliberately cut by the illegal settlers. Had they not been cut, they should have been 15 feet in height already. (Location: 1453'21.11"N 121 9'58.81"E) RIGHT: Charcoal-making continues in Sitio Sapang Anginan where there is an ongoing reforestation program (Location: 1453'23.04"N 12110'3.15"E) All photos above were taken on September 7, 2013 at UPMs reforestation site in Sitio Anginan.

LEFT: During a recent visit, more tree saplings planted by UPM were found to have been deliberately again cut by the illegal settlers.. (Location: 1453'13.45"N 12110'6.53"E) CENTER: Cutting of full grown trees continues in Sitio Sapang Anginan where there is an ongoing reforestation program (Location: 1453'17.77"N 12110'4.52"E) RIGHT: Deliberate planting of bamboo species on already existing and established reforestation area. Bamboo seedlings were planted just inches away from a planted narra tree. All photos above were taken on January 25, 2014 at UPMs reforestation site in Sitio Anginan.

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Charcoal, Timber and Agriculture Even with the regular presence of volunteer tree planters and nurturers, the illegal settlers are not deterred from continuing on with their destructive livelihood. Logging continues and the remaining forests are still being burned in order for them to be converted to agricultural lands.

LEFT: Rubber tubes used to transport wood planks in the creeks (1453'22.88"N 12110'1.80"E) CENTER: Freshly cut wood planks in UPMs reforestation site(1453'22.63"N 12110'0.79"E) RIGHT: Sawdust/wood shavings from logs cut by a chainsaw (1453'26.92"N 12110'2.05"E) All photos above were taken on September 4, 2013 at UPMs reforestation site in Sitio Anginan.

Common sight along the riverbanks near Ipo Dam LEFT: Kaingin area planted with upland rice. Clearing forests as a source of livelihood has become rampant in Ipo Watershed. (1452'49.56"N 121 9'6.91"E) RIGHT: Numerous charcoal kilns scattered near the riverbanks turning Ipo Watershed into a charcoal factory (1453'19.86"N 121 9'48.15"E) Both photos above were taken on September 8, 2013 along the banks of Angat River upstream of Ipo Dam

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The problem with agricultural lands inside a watershed is that they cannot control erosion like how rainforests do LEFT: More than 200 native trees planted by UPM were cut to make way for exotic cacao seedlings. RIGHT: Banana trees also replaced most of the native trees planted by UPM from 2007 to 2012. Both photos above were taken on September 8, 2013 at UPMs reforestation site in Sitio Anginan. (Location: 1453'21.77"N 121 9'59.30"E)

Same sightings one month after the previous visit LEFT: Rubber tube to be used to transport wood planks from the mountains down to the creeks (1453'22.65"N 12110'4.46"E) RIGHT: Heavy wood planks to be sold outside the watershed (1453'23.91"N 12110'4.21"E) Both photos above were taken on October 19, 2013 at UPMs reforestation site in Sitio Anginan.

LEFT: Children playing with fire beside a newly cut wood plank. When they grow up, will they also be kaingeros or loggers just like their parents? (1453'18.35"N 121 9'59.76"E) RIGHT: Newly constructed banca made of wood from mature forest trees (1453'17.05"N 12110'4.92"E) Both photos above were taken on January 18, 2014 at UPMs reforestation site in Sitio Anginan.

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Forests converted to rice plantations LEFT: Slash-and-burn farming in PLDT and Smarts Reforestation site CENTER: Close up photo of the signage in the photo on the left RIGHT: Ipo Dam providing a platform for drying rice produced from forested areas destroyed by slash-and-burn farming All photos above were taken on October 19, 2013 near Ipo Dam.

Despite the efforts by volunteers to reforest the watershed since 2006, and the recent operation of the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force by the Bulacan Provincial Government which was covered by GMA 7s Reporters Notebook last August 2013, illegal settlers continue to convert original forests as well as reforested areas into farmlands. Because of this, the capacity of the watershed to store more water during summer and to regulate floods and erosion during the rainy season is severely compromised. Without mature forest trees, soil erodes easily and this causes heavy siltation in the upstream side of Ipo Dam thereby affecting its water-holding capacity and the quality of water it stores. Silt is the number one cause of water pollution and it places undue strain on water treatment facilities making it much more costly to bring clean water to Metro Manila (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012).

Human and Household Wastes Entering our Water Supply Because Ipo Watershed has multiple entry and exit points which have no forest guards, the unabated human encroachment within the perimeter of the watershed continues to put pressure on the environment. Illegal settlers simply throw their trash in their surroundings and in the creeks. They take a bath using soap and shampoo and wash their clothes using detergents in the bodies of water comprising the watershed. They also defecate directly in or near these same bodies of water since most of them do not have latrines in their houses (Aganon, M. et al., 2011). These activities increases the coliform level of the water that is stored in La Mesa Dam, since it is supplied by the same bodies of water and waterways that illegal settlers wash in, urinate, defecate and throw their trash in.

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LEFT: Wood planks cut by chainsaw are used to build houses of newcomers in Ipo Watershed (1453'21.35"N 12110'0.48"E) RIGHT: Household and human wastes contaminate the waters of Ipo Watershed increasing the coliform level and thereby endangering Metro Manilas water source. Harmful chemicals from cleaning solutions are also being released in natural waterways when settlers do their laundry (1453'22.87"N 12110'4.23"E) Both photos above were taken on September 8, 2013 at UPMs reforestation site in Sitio Anginan.

Babies everywhere. Photos above were taken on October 19, 2013 at UPMs reforestation site in Sitio Anginan. (1453'22.10"N 12110'1.82"E)

LEFT: Chemical substances used in a mango plantation inside Ipo Watershed contaminate our water supply (1453'22.10"N 12110'1.82"E) CENTER: Catching of monkeys to become pets or to be sold outside (January 25, 2013, 1453'17.05"N 12110'4.92"E) RIGHT: Introduction of exotic pet species which could eventually become escapees and lead to an uncontrolled population

The population explosion inside Ipo Watershed is also alarming. Mothers carrying newborns and their children carrying toddlers are a common sight in the communities of illegal settlers inside Ipo Watershed. It is very likely that these children will grow up within the watershed and build a livelihood using its resources, employing the same destructive practices that their parents use. The number of illegal settlers who have made the watershed their home continues to increase because there is a source of livelihood inside the watershed.
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Enforcement of the law inside the watershed is very lax and this has served as a green light for illegal settlers to clear, burn, cut down, plant, harvest, raise animals, and basically do whatever they want within the watershed.

Illegal Settlers are Putting Metro Manilas Water Supply in Danger With the rate of illegal activities taking place within the watershed and lack of forest protection measures, it is estimated that in a few years time, Ipo Watershed will be completely denuded if no action is done to control the damage. Even with the efforts of the private sector to reforest certain areas, the current rate of deforestation is still greater than the rate of reforestation. Tree planting activities only happen during the rainy season while logging and charcoal-making take place all year round.

This photo was taken on March 2010 in Sitio Ilas where there are communities of illegal loggers. No reforestation program has taken place there yet because of its remoteness. The Bulacan Provincial Multi-Sectoral Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force recently visited this area and they were able to confiscate illegally cut wooden planks. However, no illegal logger was apprehended. The Task Force is worried that without enough funds, they will not be able to sustain their operations and therefore, the logging will continue. (Location: 1450'14.24"N 12113'20.22"E)

Activities that are prohibited inside watersheds are still happening within Ipo Watershed at an ever alarming rate. If these are not put to an end, Metro Manila will soon suffer by bearing the rising cost of potable water, disruption of water supply, and
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unrest amongst the poor who may no longer be able to afford the cost of having clean water brought to their homes.

Mt. Maranat as seen from the slopes of Mt. Balagbag. Ipo River can be found between these two mountains. Forest trees here are being decimated by people living both inside and outside the perimeters of Ipo Watershed. This photo was taken last May 2013. (Location: 1450'23.23"N 12111'6.93"E)

What Needs to Be Done In 2008, the DENR through its Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) in Bulacan came up with an Action Plan for the protection of Ipo Watershed. Five years have passed, but the plan has yet to be fully implemented. Until now, the problems identified in the Action Plan are still threatening Ipo Watershed.

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DENRs 2008 Action Plan for Ipo Watershed. It remains to be fully implemented.

The UP Mountaineers have, for more than half a decade, regularly visited and coordinated with the local community in its adopted site to reforest, protect and come up with solutions which seek to preserve the remaining forest cover of Ipo Watershed. The organization had always aimed at fostering effective partnerships among stakeholders, volunteers, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System, to come up with solutions that are broadly accepted and supported by all major actors of the issue at hand. UP Mountaineers also believes that there is an urgent need for the MWSS and DENR to implement concrete actions to immediately halt the extensive destruction and unchecked illegal activities within the watershed. Reforestation programs are
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only band-aid solutions. They do not address the root of the problem. Executive Order No. 23, a law declaring a moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in natural and residual forests, is not being enforced in Ipo Watershed because the MWSS and DENR have no clear management plan up to now. This seeming lack of understanding of the role each agency had to play given their overlapping functions, in managing the protection and conservation of the watershed had led to bureaucratic paralysis with regards the protection of this particular watershed. UPM is appealing to both government agencies and to the two water concessionaires (Manila Water Company, Inc. and Maynilad Water Services, Inc.) to sit down once again to delineate responsibilities and roles, work out a plan and set a timeline of actions that will effectively protect the remaining forest cover of Ipo Watershed. Without genuine forest protection, all our reforestation efforts will be futile.

References 1. Baclayan, Paul and De la Cruz, Narcisco. (2004). Kaingin-destroyed Ipo Watershed (Powerpoint Presentation) 2. United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2012). Three Big Pollutants. Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/learn/resources/bigpollutants.cfm 3. Aganon,M., Cayabyab, I.D., Cueco, B., & Tribacio, R. (2011). Open Planning of Sanitation Sytems for the Dumagat Tribe in Ipo Watershed. Retrieved from University of the Philippines Diliman, Department of Environmental Engineering, Sustainable Sanitation Course.

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